Plains to build new Texas pipelines, gas plant

HOUSTON (AP) — Plains All American Pipeline LP said Monday it will begin a $190 million project to expand oil pipelines near refineries along the Texas Gulf Coast and build a plant to separate liquids from natural gas.

The company said the work should be done at the end of 2013.

The pipelines will run for 90 miles and gather up to 115,000 barrels of oil per day for refineries in Three Rivers, Corpus Christi or the Houston area.

Work on a plant to convert gas condensate into liquids will be broken into two parts, with the first phase to be finished in early October and the second by year end. It will be built next to Plains’ Gardendale terminal in South Texas. The company said it had long-term commitments from producers who would use the facility.

Separately, the Houston company said it has nearly completed building about 145 miles of oil pipelines in West Texas, a $135 million project.

The company said the work would increase capacity by 200,000 barrels per day from oil fields in nine counties. Some of the work is complete and in service while other sections are expected to be finished by year end.

Plains owns and operates about 3,500 miles of pipeline plus storage capacity.

The company’s shares rose $1.51, or 1.8 percent, to $87.70 in afternoon trading after matching its 52-week high of $88 earlier in the session.